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North Arm timber harvest approved

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 09:52

A North Arm timber harvest in the Burntside State Forest has finally been given the green light after more than a year of review and months of public comment.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has approved proceeding with the sale of a 62-acre timber thinning project on state forest lands, just north of Camp DuNord to improve forest health and reduce wildfire hazard.
The harvest would remove about one-third of the mature trees in scattered areas, leaving the largest, best formed and healthiest trees.
“This thinning proposal came out over a year ago and was put on a list for harvest,” said DNR outreach supervisor Amy Kay Kerber.
“The comment period closed without much comment. In the process of putting it up for sale we received communications from Camp du Nord and some adjacent landowners so we reopened the public comment period. It was a long period that opened in February and closed August 1.”
The result was to proceed with thinning 62 of the 101 acres.
“The original plan was to do about 60 acres. It may not have been clear in the original plan,” said Kerber.
An input group with interested residents and the North Star Ski Club will work with the DNR as it finalizes plans for the logging.
“Overall the decision to harvest is to reduce wildfire risk to keep the forest healthy and to promote growth of white pine on that site,” said Kerber.
She said there will be some planting of trees done and natural regeneration should occur from the white pines left after the cut.